Anderson seeking new Nestle production line
Leaders of a central Indiana city are trying to persuade Nestle to pick it for a new production line at an existing plant that could add about 100 jobs.
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Local distillers produce Indiana sorghum spirit
Two central Indiana entrepreneurs are making a new spirit from an old crop—supplied largely by an Amish farmer who doesn’t drink alcohol. The product is Sorgrhum, a distilled liquor made from the syrup of sweet sorghum, a stalk-like grain used as a sweetener before sugar cane became widely available.
Ohio firm buying former Really Cool Foods plant
Sugar Creek Packing Co.'s $13 million bid was the only offer submitted for the plant, which is near Cambridge City in eastern Indiana.
Vincennes turkey plant expected to employ hundreds
Gov. Mitch Daniels plans to attend the groundbreaking for Farbest Foods' $70 million factory. The state dangled $3 million in incentives to attract the company.
Dog treat startup wins challenge
Self-proclaimed “foodie” Sherri Campbell knew she was onto something when she started making frozen treats for her three dogs, but even she didn’t expect to win the inaugural Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge.
Baby food maker adding 150 jobs in Lebanon
Skjodt-Barrett Contract Packaging said it plans to add the jobs by the end of September, about a year earlier than expected, due to increased demand for its products. The company has 100 employees.
Red Gold benefits from consumers’ thrifty ways
Since the recession hit, consumers looking to save a few bucks have embraced canned produce—a trend that has kept Madison County tomato processor Red Gold in the black.
Turkey processor moving ahead with Indiana plant
Work could start this month on a new turkey processing plant in southwestern Indiana a company expects to open with about 350 workers.
E&A buttered by $125M sale of Udi’s to Smart Balance
Indianapolis investment firm E&A Industries is cashing out of its majority stake in Udi’s Healthy Foods LLC by selling the Denver-based food company to margarine maker Smart Balance Inc. for $125 million.
Really Cool Foods plant on auction block
Really Cool Foods closed the 78,000-square-foot facility in November and is searching for a buyer to help repay creditors. One potential suitor is Sugar Creek Packing Co. of Ohio, which has offered $13 million, according to a bankruptcy filing.
Indianapolis margarine plant planning $44 million upgrade
ConAgra Packaged Foods LLC is seeking city tax incentives as part of a $44 million plan to upgrade its plant on the northwest side of Indianapolis and retain 392 workers.
Hostess says jobs of 856 Indiana workers in danger
The Irving, Tex.-based company said the job cuts could occur in July if it does not find a buyer or emerge from bankruptcy. About 340 workers would be affected at five Indianapolis plants.
Law change allows entrepreneurs to market homemade food
Many Indiana home-based food businesses owe their existence to a law enacted in 2009 that allows them to sell certain types of foods at farmers’ markets and their own roadside stands with minimal state oversight.
Startup wants to make pouring beer from the top passe
Josh Springer has moved to Indianapolis his company that designs and sells draft beer dispensers that fill specially designed cups from the bottom up, speeding the process and cutting down on foam.
N.K. Hurst’s unsexy beans fill bottom shelf, bottom line
N.K. Hurst Co. Inc. sells roughly 20 million packages of dried beans and bean soup mixes a year, from the West McCarty Street packaging plant it has operated since 1938. It has only about 50 employees, but its products are ubiquitous in the grocery industry.
Flavor-maker under siege fights back in court
Locally based Sensient Flavors LLC is fighting back with a fury in federal court, following months of intense federal and state scrutiny of the health risks at its Indianapolis plant.
Turkey processor to hire up to 600 for new Vincennes plant
Huntingburg-based Farbest Foods Inc. said it will invest $69 million to build a 220,000-square-foot facility.
Entrepreneurs aim to deliver custom beverages
Mad scientists, rejoice: An Indianapolis startup is rolling out a make-your-own-soft-drink campaign its founders hope will become the YouTube of the beverage industry. They left Thursday night on a 6,000-mile promotional tour.
Food company closing in Indiana has unpaid bills
An organic food company that is closing its eastern Indiana preparation center was offered up to $3.5 million in state tax credits to open its plant, but it owes more than $31,000 in property taxes and sewer bills.
Organic food company closes in Cambridge City
Really Cool Foods, which once planned to have 1,000 workers in eastern Indiana, ceased operations Monday, costing 131 employees their jobs.